Kent and Leicestershire played out a draw on the final day of their Championship match at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence.

Greg Smith hit 118 in the visitors’ second innings, but Kent were able to see out the 36 overs left after Leicestershire’s declaration.

Rob Key’s declaration yesterday afternoon, after the whole first day had been lost to rain, was aimed at setting the game up, and maybe to even give Kent a slight sniff of victory. In fact, it ended up looking at some stages like Kent would need to hang on to save the game, after losing four wickets before the close, before the players eventually shook hands and called it a day shortly after 17.30pm.

Having taken two quick wickets in the eight overs they had in the field last night, Kent knew that any chances they had of securing a miraculous victory would rest on them demolishing the Leicestershire batting line-up in the early parts of the final day.

Unfortunately for the home side, that was not something they were ever able to do. The not-out pair from overnight – Greg Smith and Ned Eckersley – put on 50 together, before Eckersley became the only man out in the morning session, as he edged Claydon to Stevens at first slip for 23.

That brought young batsman Angus Robson – brother of England hopeful Sam – to the crease, and the 22-year-old played a number of attractive shots, scoring at around a-run-a-ball, and reaching his maiden First Class half-century before lunch, which Leicestershire took with the score on 157-3; their lead already 221 by this stage.

Smith and Robson continued to add runs in the afternoon session, finding the boundary at regular intervals, despite Kent captain Rob Key regularly changing his bowlers and their ends to look to disrupt the batsmen.

Greg Smith went to his seventh First Class century, his best last season having been just 70, and was dropped either side of reaching his landmark, first by Claydon, and then by Joseph, who put down a skier at mid-off.

Spinner Adam Riley eventually did pick up a couple of wickets, first dismissing Robson, who had played excellently for his 81 – his highest First Class score, and then Smith, his 175-ball innings ended with him on 118; Doug Bollinger taking a good, diving catch at backward point.

Josh Cobb and Niall O’Brien came together at the crease and added a further 21, before the visitors did eventually declare their innings, with a lead of 323 runs, and a maximum of 42 overs left in the day to bowl at Kent.

With less than a session and a half remaining for Kent’s second innings, the target of 324 was there all-but-for effect. Kent’s second knock started in the worst possible way, as Sam Northeast drove the very first ball straight back at bowler Charlie Shreck, who took the catch at head height.

His fellow opener Rob Key would also fall, going in the last over before tea to an Anthony Ireland ball that took the shoulder of his bat and saw him caught by Robson; Kent going into the final break 19-2, and one or two nerves just starting to jangle.

Having seen out another 10 overs after the tea break, those nerves would have been jangling further, when Brendan Nash (6) and Ben Harmison (0) both departed within four balls of each other. Both went off the bowling of Jigar Naik; Nash caught behind, and Harmison bowled, although the former-Durham man looked angry at his dismissal, as if he had been distracted by something at the crease.

Daniel Bell-Drummond continued his impressive form with an unbeaten 39, as he and Darren Stevens (34) were then able to see Kent through to the close without any further scares.

Each team takes 10 points for the draw, with Kent’s next fixture seeing them welcome Surrey to Canterbury for their Championship game starting on Sunday 4 May.

 

Stumps, day four: Kent vs. Leicestershire, LV= County Championship Division Two, The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Canterbury, 20-23 April 2014:

Kent 269-7 declared (Bell-Drummond 58, Taylor 2-40) and 89-2 drew with Leicestershire 333 (Boyce 68, Ireland 52, Stevens 3-46, Riley 3-52) and 259-5 declared (Smith 118, Robson 81, Bollinger 2-48).

 

Kent: Northeast, Key*, Bell-Drummond, Nash, Harmison, Stevens, Billings†, Claydon, Joseph, Bollinger, Riley

Leicestershire: Smith, Boyce, Eckersley, Robson, Cobb*, O’Brien†, Raine, Taylor, Naik, Ireland, Shreck

 

Kent won the toss and elected to bowl.

Bonus points: Kent 10, Leicestershire 10

 

Full scorecard available here